Burger #21 – Ranch House Burger (Mexicali Rosa’s)

First off, I just wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone that has been reading my blog and relaying really nice messages to me about it. What started out as an excuse to eat a bunch of burgers has slowly become an exciting hobby for myself, and I’m glad you guys enjoy hearing what I have to say!

Now for the real reason you are here – Burger #21! I’m slowly making my way through the many burgers that Spring Garden has to offer, and this time it was Mexicali Rosa’s turn.

Located at 5472 Spring Garden Road, Mexicali Rosa’s is known for their Mexican-inspired cuisine and delicious margarita options. They also have a few “North of the Border” options, which includes the Ranch House Burger.

Stats

From the menu: “100% beef burger grilled to perfection topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, pickle, Monterey Jack cheese and mayonnaise. Served on a sesame seed bun”

Appearance (4.5/10)

Upon first glance, this burger didn’t really stand out as visually appealing. It was kind of thrown on the plate and there didn’t really appear to be much effort put into the presentation. This was slightly surprising to me as the other dishes that I have had/seen other people have there have always been put together nicely when served (their delicious nachos for example).

Taste (5.5/10)

After the first bite, I realized that I had overlooked a crucial fact about this burger. I was dealing with another frozen burger patty (I didn’t confirm this with the waiter but I’m 99% sure that it was. If I am wrong, please let me know!). Despite the fact that it was frozen, it did still have quite a bit of flavour to it, which was nice, but there is still always going to be a lack of quality when dealing with a frozen patty, and this was no exception. My favourite part of this burger was the Monterey Jack cheese, but other than that the burger kind of fell flat as there wasn’t much to it. I added bacon for an extra dollar, which I would recommend because bacon makes everything better.

Restaurant Atmosphere & Service (7/10)

When we arrived at Mexicali Rosa’s it was fairly empty, with the exception of a couple of other small groups. Our waiter, and the other staff, were very friendly and energetic and they were even singing along to the songs they kept putting on (keep practising guys and maybe some day you will reach that high note in I Believe in a Thing Called Love). All of this made for a pretty relaxed and fun environment.

Cost vs. What You Get (4.5/10)

The cost of this burger is $13.99 (a dollar extra if you want to add bacon). While this tends to be a pretty common price for a restaurant burger, the lack of effort put into this one, as well as the frozen patty, would make me very hesitant to pay this price again as I don’t feel as though it was overly worth it.

Overall (5.38/10)

This burger didn’t really leave me with a lasting impression. It was somewhat tasty, and it definitely filled me up, but it was also kind of boring. I feel as though this falls into the category of a restaurant trying to add a few options to their menu for those that maybe don’t like the style of food that they are known for. Mexi’s has some great Mexican-inspired food and some really delicious margaritas, but this burger pales in comparison.

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